Another local Catholic
school set to close

Yet another sign that Catholic elementary education is struggling to survive in parts of the Northeast.
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia announced last weekend that St. Bartholomew School, at Jackson and Sanger streets in Wissinoming, would close in June because of projected low enrollment next year.
Students will be permitted to attend the school of their choice next year. They and their families will be able to attend an upcoming information night to meet with administrators from other Catholic schools.
The parish will remain and pay the difference between the parishioner and non-parishioner rates for tuition at another Catholic school.
St. Bartholomew will be the fourth local Catholic school to close in the last two years.
In January, the archdiocese announced the closing of St. Leo School in Tacony. Most of those students will be attending St. Timothy School next year.
In June 2003, St. Joachim and Mater Dolorosa schools in Frankford closed. Most of those students went to Holy Innocents School in Juniata.
Like those schools, St. Bartholomew has seen a steady dip in enrollment.
The decision to close the school was made earlier this month after the Rev. Joseph P. Denny, pastor of the parish, realized that only 145 students were enrolled for the 2005-06 year.
As enrollment declines, the cost to educate each student increases. The cost per pupil would exceed $5,000 if the school were to remain open.
The parish would have had to subsidize the school to such an extent that the future of the parish itself would have been jeopardized.
The parish pastoral and finance councils supported the closing, with the exception of two members.
Cardinal Justin Rigali, archbishop of Philadelphia, accepted the recommendation that the school close.
"It is my hope that parents will choose Catholic education in nearby schools for their children," Rigali said.
Denny announced the closing at Masses last weekend.
As recently as 1996, St. Bartholomew had 695 students. Today, the figure is 253. It was expected to drop again next year.
The long-term future looked bleak. In 1990, there were 149 baptisms at St. Bartholomew. In 2004, there were just 35. The archdiocese also announced last weekend that it was closing Holy Trinity School in Bridgeport, Montgomery County, because of projected low enrollment. ••